Vermonter Summer Programs for kids ages 7 - 17 —

Monday - Kayak - Enjoy a scenic kayaking adventure guided by our experienced staff and a picnic lunch on the beautiful Lamoille River. Participants MUST be able to paddle independently for the 5 mile trip.

Tuesday - Paddle & Roll - This is an action packed, fun-filled day! Participants will paddle board and enjoy a picnic lunch at Bootleggers’ Basin followed by skateboarding and some time bouldering and exploring the Notch.

Wednesday - MetroRock Indoor Climb - Climbing is a natural inclination - from trees to playgrounds to that boulder in the backyard. Our group will journey to MetroRock, located in Essex, Vermont. Share in the passion and adventure of climbing and take to the skies with MetroRock’s highly trained staff, scaling up to 50 foot climbing walls at the largest indoor venue in VT. With routes of all levels and heights, absolute beginners and experienced veterans will find an ascent perfect for them. Participants will then engage their sense of adventure as they take to the enormous indoor high ropes course, which consists of 21 separate elements! Set high above the ground, MetroRocks’ challenge course presents a series of unique elements and physical challenges as you move from platform to platform.

Thursday - ArborTrek - Awaken your inner Ninja and join us at the ArborTrek Treetop Obstacle Course and Climbing Adventure. Come prepared to climb, swing, balance, jump, zip, and dash through the forest. Designed for those who like to get physical, the Treetop Obstacle Course blends beautiful views with a variety of elements ranging from easy to extremely challenging, including wobbly bridges, balance beams, rope swings, cargo nets, log swings, and more.Campers must be between 70 - 250 pounds and able to reach 66" standing flat-footed.

Friday - Outdoor Climb - Hosted by MetroRock, we will hit some of Vermont's finest real rock and be scaling up the walls in no time. The day is a blend of climbing, safety instruction, and teamwork. Rainy days will take place at MetroRock indoor climbing facility.


Special Vermonter rate: $129 per child, per day. Cost includes guides, equipment, and transportation. Online pre-registration required. Four guest minimum for program to run. Lunch is not included. Please make sure to pack a ready to eat, healthy lunch and snack.


Cancellations must be made by 5:00 pm the day prior to the program/activity start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations made after 5:00 pm are not eligible for a refund.

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Join us for some action packed days exploring our trails and features on a mountain bike! Groups are split based on age and ability. Whether taking a first step into the sport, or riding the upper end features of our park and trail network, this MTB program is for everyone looking to ride! Visit mtb.com for information regarding our trail network and MTB Skills Park.

Special Vermonter rate: $99 per child, per day. Minimum of 2 participants for program to run. Online pre-registration required. Lunch and bike rental are not included. Please make sure to pack a ready to eat, healthy lunch and snack.

Cancellations must be made by 5:00 pm the day prior to the program/activity start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations made after 5:00 pm are not eligible for a refund.

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Each day will include field exploration, games, group projects and challenges, all centered around the day's theme. In the afternoon, each participant will choose between two focus activities, where they will dive in with even more hands-on investigation. We will end each day with a swim.

Monday - Feathered, Furry & Fierce:
Learn all about predators and their prey, as well as specific adaptations that help each animal survive.
Focus activity choice: Owl Pellet Dissection or Squid Dissection

Tuesday - Build It & Break It:
Get ready to think critically and creatively as we use the engineering design process to build models, test designs, and overcome problems.
Focus Activity choice: Catapults or Sink the Boat

Wednesday - Soar, Rattle & Roll:
We will explore all different types of movement in the natural world, and learn how these have inspired human designs!
Focus Activity choice: Marble Mazes or Parachutes

Thursday - Earth, Fire & Water:
Ever wonder where all the snow and other waste waters go at Smuggs? How do humans impact the environment, and what can we do to help? We will explore these issues and many more!
Focus Activity choice: Forest Fires or Mudslides

Friday - Home Is Where You Make It:
What kind of homes do animals build? What style of homes do humans build? We will investigate and design all sorts of different living spaces.
Focus Activity choice: Giant Blueprints or Bridges

Special Vermonter rate: $99 per child, per day. Cost includes instruction and all materials. Online pre-registration required.Lunch is not included. Please make sure to pack a ready to eat, healthy lunch and snack.

Cancellations must be made by 5:00 pm the day prior to the program/activity start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations made after 5:00 pm are not eligible for a refund.

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Come explore the Smugglers’ Notch woods as we hone our modern hiking and camping skills, explore the Leave No Trace Principles, play games, and investigate the plants and animals around us! Each day will focus on a particular theme. Throughout the week, each participant will be adding on to their own “Survival Tin” - a collection of tools that they will earn by showing proficiency in skill and safety for that day. We will end each day with a swim.

Monday - Shelter - Under what conditions would we need to seek shelter in the wilderness? How are our needs for a shelter similar or different from the animals? We will learn all about different types of shelters and build some of our own!

Tuesday - Water - Water is super important for our health and safety! But how do we gather it in the woods so it is safe for us? How do we make sure we keep water sources clean for others? We will explore several different backcountry methods to gather and treat water so it is clean and safe to drink!

Wednesday - Fire - Safety is paramount as we spend the day building, tending, and then extinguishing our campfires. We will learn how to use flint and steel to start the fire, and then do some cooking over the open flames.

Thursday - Food - Ever wonder what foods are good to bring on a backpacking trip? Using a camp stove, we will cook and sample some backpacking favorites and then practice hanging our food bag high in a tree to keep it safe from animals.

Friday - Get Found! - Navigate through the trails using maps, compasses, and the skills you've learned throughout the week.

Special Vermonter rate: $99 per child, per day.Cost includes guides and equipment. Online pre-registration required. Three guest minimum for program to run. Lunch is not included. Please make sure to pack a ready to eat, healthy lunch and snack.

Cancellations must be made by 5:00 pm the day prior to the program/activity start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations made after 5:00 pm are not eligible for a refund.

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Monday - Clay Making - Learn about the practice of how to process clay from the earth. We will gather natural clay and transform it into sculpting clay. Our sculpted pieces will need time to dry and then we will begin the firing process during Thursday's program. If the participant will not be attending on Thursday, the clay piece can be taken home without firing.

Tuesday - Tie-Dye- Learn how to make dyes out of natural materials and tie dye fabrics. Participants will also learn fun shirt tie-dye techniques utilizing classic dye.

Items will need to process overnight and be washed. They will be returned to participants on Wednesday. If the participant is not attending on Wednesday, the items will be available for pick in the studio from 1-4pm on Wednesday or 9-4pm Thurs and Fri.

Wednesday - Collagraph Printmaking - Learn the art of collagraph printmaking and make a textured plate using natural and recycled materials. The pieces will need time to dry and prints will be pulled during programming on Friday. If the participant will not be attending on Friday, the collagraph can be taken with them.

Thursday - Natural Paints & Clay Firing - Collect natural materials together and learn how to transform them to make watercolor paints. We will also learn about the practice of firing our clay pieces from Monday's program in a campfire pit. Once our clay pieces are in the fire, we will create paintings using our watercolors. If the participant did not attend on Monday there will be extra clay pieces they can choose from.

Friday - Wood Burning & Print Making - Enjoy the soothing practice of wood burning as well as the process of pulling prints from our dried collagraph pieces from Wednesday's programming. If the participant did not attend on Wednesday there will be extra collagraphs to use.

Special Vermonter rate: $99 per child, per day. Cost includes all materials. Online pre-registration is required. Lunch is not included. Please make sure to pack a ready to eat, healthy lunch and snack.

Cancellations must be made by 5:00 pm the day prior to the program/activity start date to receive a full refund. Cancellations made after 5:00 pm are not eligible for a refund.

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